A hibiscus plant is cultivated in many gardens and homes. The reason for this is their beautiful, funnel-shaped flowers. There are around 500 varieties worldwide, some of which are even suitable for consumption and are extremely he althy.
How do you dry hibiscus flowers correctly?
To dry hibiscus flowers, harvest fully bloomed flowers, wash them briefly, place them on kitchen paper or in a dehydrator at 30-40 degrees. Turn the flowers every day; the drying time is about four hours. They can then be used for tea or decoration.
Are all hibiscus flowers edible?
Not all hibiscus plants have aromatic-tasting flowers. If you would like to dry these for consumption, the following are suitable:
- Chinese rose marshmallow (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
- Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
- Marshmallow (Hibiscus syriacus)
- Swamp Marsh Marshmallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Drying hibiscus flowers
Tea made from hibiscus flowers tastes extremely refreshing when enjoyed cold. Due to its high vitamin C content, drunk hot prevents colds. You can also use the dried flowers as a decoration for dishes, for example as a he althy splash of color in a salad.
- The fully bloomed flowers are harvested no later than two days after they bloom.
- Soak them briefly in water to remove dust and dirt.
- Place a piece of paper towel or kitchen towel on a wire rack.
- Spread the flowers on this. If possible, you should avoid touching each other.
- Place in an airy, sunny place and turn daily.
If you have a dehydrator, you can also dry the hibiscus flowers in this one. Place the flowers on the grates and turn on the device to a temperature between thirty and forty degrees. The drying time is about four hours.
Making tea
For a small pot of tea you need eight to ten flowers, which corresponds to fifteen grams. Place them in the pot and pour boiling water over. Let it steep for ten to fifteen minutes. Then strain and enjoy. It tastes very tasty if you add dried rose hip peels to the hibiscus flowers.
Dry hibiscus as room decoration or for crafts
Silicon beads or special plant drying s alt are best suited for this. Please remember that flowers dried in this way may no longer be consumed:
- Fill a tightly fitting container that will accommodate the hibiscus flowers with about three centimeters of drying material.
- Put the flowers in with the stem facing down.
- Fill carefully with s alt or gel beads, being careful not to deform the petals.
- Close the vessel.
- After two to three days, the drying process is complete and you can carefully remove the dried flowers.
Tip
If you want to dry hibiscus flowers for consumption, you should only harvest them from plants that have not been sprayed and that do not grow on busy roads.
